Bound by Regret
by Zarosguth
Summary: Walking home from school, Takamachi Nanoha sees a mysterious blonde girl in the park. Entranced by the girl's mysterious air, Nanoha walks up to her and asks her who she is. The response she gets is not quite what she expected: "Y-you can... see me?" ::AU & Nanofate::
1. You Can See Me?

_**Story Title:  
**_Bound by Regret

_**Genres/'Tags':  
**_Mystery / Supernatural / Romance / Yuri / Alternate Universe / Ghost

_**Summary:  
**_Walking home from school, Takamachi Nanoha sees a mysterious blonde girl in the park. Entranced by the girl's mysterious air, Nanoha walks up to her and asks her who she is. The response she gets is not quite what she expected: "Y-you can... see me?" ::AU & Nanofate::

_**Disclaimer:  
**_I do not own Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha and all related trademarks are owned by Seven Arcs.

_**Foreword:  
**_Hello there, or, 'Nice to meet you,' in case we haven't met before.

My name is Zarosguth and I thank you for taking your time to start reading this story.

My first multi-chapter Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Fan Fiction, rejoice!

Inspired by both 'Forever Girls' by Amagakure Gido and 'Honey Crush' by Asu Tsubaki. Reading those manga inspired me to write a ghost story. With that I don't mean a horror story but rather a story in which a human and a ghost live together. Or something like that.

Occasionally, I might borrow a small thing or two from those two aforementioned manga.

I guess you could call this an AU Ghost!Fate story.

Finally, before we begin I would like to point out that this story is un-Beta'ed. If you're interested in becoming a Beta-reader for this story then please do not hesitate to send me a PM. Only serious applications please; I need someone capable since English is not my native language.

With that, please enjoy!

* * *

***~-[**** Chapter #1: You Can See Me? ****]-~***

* * *

_**Fate POV:  
**_The first time I realized I was a ghost was back when I found myself floating above the clouds. The view was like something out of a dream, yet it felt like I had just woken up.

I tried to remember, how did I die? Also, if I was a ghost, then I must have had some sort of regret in life preventing me from passing on right? Then, what was my regret?

Floating aimlessly above the clouds I kept pondering these questions.

The more I thought about it, the less I seemed to be able to recall of my life. All I knew and remembered clearly was my name.

Fate Testarossa.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Nanoha POV:  
**_The high pitched beeps from my phone's alarm clock woke me up. Still half-asleep I reached for my nightstand in an attempt to grab my phone and silence it. But I accidentally knocked it off of my nightstand instead. Groaning in annoyance as the beeping started going faster I reached to the floor from my bed and grabbed my phone, quickly silencing the alarm.

I yawned and stretched to wake myself up more. My eyes fluttered open and I sat in bed for a moment. My attention slowly drifted to my phone.

_Oh yeah, today is the start of the new school year._ I thought to myself as I saw today's date.

I crawled out of bed and slowly made my way to the bathroom. I took a close look at myself in the mirror. My sapphire-blue eyes were slightly clouded over as I was still tired.

I quickly washed my face, the cold water helped me wake up completely. Next, I combed my auburn hair and bound it into a ponytail. In all of the years I've had this hairstyle I've never been able to centre my ponytail properly so I've always worn it on the left side of my head.

I got dressed and went downstairs to eat breakfast with my family before I'd go off to school.

My name is Takamachi Nanoha, a second-year at Uminari High.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Fate POV:  
**_I was floating through the city I had found below the clouds. _Did I live here when I was still alive?_

I ran into a lot of people in the busy streets. Or rather, a lot of people ran through me. But none of them seemed familiar and neither did the city itself.

It was early morning and a lot of children and young guys and girls roamed the streets, probably on their way to school.

_I've never been to school, I was never allowed to..._ I jumped at my own thoughts. _Did I just... remember something?_

"Ugh..." I groaned, trying to force any kind of memory only resulted in headache. I shrugged it off and instead continued drifting through the streets with no clear goal in mind.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Nanoha POV:  
**_"Hey~!" I exclaimed happily when I saw my three best friends at the school gate.

"Nanoha-chan!" They greeted me back.

"How have you been?" Hayate-chan asked. Hayate-chan's full name is Yagami Hayate. We met when we were nine. At the time Hayate-chan was in a wheelchair due to the lower half of her body being paralyzed. Recent surgery had allowed her to use her legs again though she still had trouble when she'd have to walk or stand for longer periods of time. She had short brown hair slightly darker than mine and blue eyes.

"I'm doing well, thank you. What about you guys?" I replied with a smile.

"Fine of course." Arisa-chan cut in. Arisa-chan comes from the wealthy Bannings family. She could be a bit blunt and usually acted tough but she just did that to hide her kind nature; she didn't want to appear 'soft'. Arisa-chan had long sandy-blonde hair and green eyes.

"I'm happy to see everyone again." Suzuka-chan added. Suzuka-chan's also from a wealthy family, the Tsukimura family in her case. She's very gentle and kind and always kept Arisa-chan in check. Her long hair was purple in colour, as were her eyes.

The sudden sound of the school bell cut our reunion short; we had to get to the new year opening ceremony.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

After a quick and pretty uneventful opening ceremony we found ourselves in the classroom.

"Don't you think it's weird?" Hayate-chan asked.

"Hm? What're you talking about Hayate-chan?" Suzuka-chan wondered.

"Normally the opening ceremony is led by headmaster Harlaown-san, but she didn't this year." The brunette elaborated. "What do you think Nanoha-chan?"

"Sorry? What?" I wasn't paying attention so I had missed what they were talking about.

Arisa-chan sighed audibly. "Still a dreamer aren't you, Nanoha-chan?" She said with her hands on her hips.

"Nyahaha… Sorry." I scratched the back of my neck in embarrassment.

Just at that moment the teacher came in and motioned for us to sit down as class was starting.

To be honest, I have always had the tendency to daydream and that hadn't changed. Even as a second year high school student it seemed I still dreamt off easily.

As the teacher droned on I was staring out the window at the bright blue sky.

_If only I could fly… I'd fly around the world and help people. Maybe I could be like those magical girls on TV…_

_Whoa, what...?_ I swore I had just seen something golden-yellow in colour fly by. _Was that a bird or something? It must have been. Maybe I should stop dreaming and pay some attention to class; I'm starting to see things._

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

"We'll see you tomorrow Nanoha-chan." Suzuka-chan smiled at me as she and Arisa-chan stepped into their limousine. I happily waved them goodbye with Hayate-chan before she got picked up by one of her guardians. A friendly blonde woman known as Shamal. Once alone, I started on my own way home as well.

The weather was nice that day so I decided to take a little detour through the park.

The park was situated at the edge of the city and had a great view over the ocean. As I reached the park I noticed it was very quiet, which was a bit strange taking in account what great weather it was. I headed for the park bench that had the best view of the entire park.

Taking a seat on the bench I looked out over the ocean. The water was calm and the sky was clear. I loved the sky and I still do; I'd always dreamt of one day flying through the sky like a bird.

Lost in daydream I was eventually pulled back to reality when my cell phone rang, which caused me to jump. I quickly answered the phone; it was my mom.

"Nanoha, where are you? It's getting late! Are you okay?"

"Nyahaha! Sorry mom, I'm fine; I am at the park. I'll come home as soon as I can." I assured her.

"Alright Nanoha. See you soon. Love you."

"Love you too mom." I said before I hung up the phone.

As I stood up from the bench and turned to leave the park and go home I noticed a person standing a few meters away. I saw she had golden-blonde hair that seemed to shine with an other-worldly brilliance.

In fact, her entire presence seemed other-worldly.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Fate POV:  
**_I had reached some sort of park with a very nice ocean view. The sparkling water soothed me as it glistened in the sunlight.

There weren't many people at the park. In fact, there was only one other person, a high school girl by the looks of it. And she was just enjoying the ocean view it seemed.

Such a serene atmosphere. I took a deep breath, pleasantly surprised to find I could still enjoy the fresh sea breeze and the slightly salty smell of the ocean water.

The sound of a ringing phone caught my attention. I looked over to see the auburn-haired girl pick up her cell. Turned out it was her mother.

_Must be nice, to have a mother whom is concerned for you... Wait, does that mean my mother was never concerned for me like that? Ugh... I just can't remember!_

As infuriating as not remembering was, I simultaneously had a feeling that told me I didn't really want to remember either.

Distracted by my own thoughts, I didn't notice someone coming to stand next to me until a warm and happy-sounding voice spoke.

"Hello, I've never seen you before. Who are you?"

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Nanoha POV:  
**__I don't know why, but I have to talk to her._ With that as the single thought that ran through my head, I slowly approached the blonde. When I had reached her and stood next to her I got a decent look at her face; she didn't seem to notice me.

She had a very pretty face but what I noticed almost immediately were her eyes; they were red in colour, like the wine my parents drank on special occasions. They had a very far-off look in them, as if the world around her was of no concern whatsoever.

Before I had even realized it, I had spoken. She turned to me and looked startled. I could see the confusion on her face.

"Y-you can... see me?"

I'll be honest; that wasn't quite the response I had expected.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Fate POV:  
**_I could read the confusion on her face. Granted, it was a bizarre question but I was genuinely surprised; all throughout the day people didn't pay the slightest bit attention to me and also passed right through me. Yet this girl, spoke to me.

"Um... Yes...? Why wouldn't I?" Fair question, I had to admit to myself.

"I mean, most people aren't able to see ghosts. You're the first person I've met who is able to see me." I tried to explain.

"A ghost?" She asked me sceptically, her head cocked to the side.

"Yes, a ghost." I confirmed shyly. To prove my point I slowly lifted myself off the ground and started floating about half a meter above the ground.

The auburn-haired girl looked up at me, her sapphire blue eyes betraying her shock at the revelation. I half expected her to run away screaming so I turned my face away from her.

It was silent for about a minute. The screaming I was expecting didn't come.

I slowly turned around and was met with a bright smile from the auburn-haired girl.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" I asked. I was surprised by how weak my own voice sounded, as if I was on the verge of tears. Which could have easily been true.

"Why would I be afraid of you? You're clearly not an evil ghost are you?"

I was at a loss for words; how could she say something like that so casually? This girl, she was something else.

"What is your name?" She asked with a friendly smile.

"Uh, I um..." I stammered, still caught off guard by her casual demeanour.

"Oh I'm sorry, it's not very polite of me to ask you for your name without giving you my own first is it?" She said, scratching her neck. "My name is Nanoha, Takamachi Nanoha."

"Nano... ha. Nanoha." I tried. It was a pleasant name to say. I liked it; just saying her name made me feel warm.

"Yes! That's it!" She exclaimed happily. "Now, what is _your_ name?"

"F-Fate, Fate Testarossa." I answered with a small stutter.

"Fate-chan is it? Nice to meet you Fate-chan!"

"Yes," I nodded, "it is also nice to meet you, Nanoha."

* * *

***~-[**** End of Chapter ****]-~***

* * *

Please leave me a review telling me what you think; I love getting feedback and I don't mind people being critical. In fact, I welcome it!

***~-[**** May we meet again, fare thee well! ****]-~***


	2. Haunted?

_**Story Title:  
**_Bound by Regret

_**Genres/'Tags':  
**_Mystery / Supernatural / Romance / Yuri / Alternate Universe / Ghost

_**Summary:  
**_Walking home from school, Takamachi Nanoha sees a mysterious blonde girl in the park. Entranced by the girl's mysterious air, Nanoha walks up to her and asks her who she is. The response she gets is not quite what she expected: "Y-you can... see me?" ::AU & Nanofate::

_**Disclaimer:  
**_I do not own Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha and all related trademarks are owned by Seven Arcs.

* * *

***~-[**** Chapter #2: Haunted...? ****]-~***

* * *

_**Nanoha POV:  
**_I invited her to come home with me. I was intrigued; it's not like it was normal to see and speak with a real, bona-fide ghost. It took quite a bit of coaxing and convincing on my part before she'd come with me. I learned she was very shy and reserved. It took more than a few times of me telling her it wasn't a bother before we finally left for my home.

"Have you been a ghost for a long time Fate-chan?" was my first question.

"I don't think so, I only remember waking up in this form this morning... Nothing before that." She answered softly, she always spoke softly, but never too soft as it was always clearly audible.

"So I take it you don't have much experience as a ghost yet... besides the fact people don't seem to be aware of you and can't touch you."

"Pretty much. Sorry." She apologized.

"Mou, there's no need to say you're sorry Fate-chan; it's not like it's your fault. I can imagine it to be very scary, realizing you're... well, dead."

"I… really haven't given that much thought yet actually..."

"Oh, sorry…" _Why did I bring that up? Stupid Nanoha!_ I mentally berated myself.

"It's okay..."

Silence fell, but it was not an uncomfortable silence. I took this opportunity to take a better look at the ghost that was now following me home.

She was wearing a plain black, short-sleeved shirt and white pants that reached just below her knees. Her feet were tucked away in black open-toed slippers with yellow trims along the strap that held them on her feet. Her long golden hair reached below her hips and was tied with a black ribbon at the end. It seemed the ghostly tail ghosts had in the stories were just in the stories. Upon closer inspection it became clear to me that she was slightly transparent. Not enough that I could see through her, but enough that it was apparent. Especially at the end of her hair, which seemed to fade away rather than end.

After a few minutes of walking in silence we reached my home. My parents owned a coffee shop called the Midori-ya and our house was directly attached to it.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

Dinner that evening was a bit awkward. While Fate-chan insisted she didn't feel the need to eat I felt a bit bad that she had to watch us eat while being unable to do so herself.

But what was perhaps even more awkward was the fact my parents were flirting with each other the entire evening. My parents, despite being married for so long were still very much acting like newly-weds and while I always found it endearing, it was a bit awkward to have your parents act like that in front of a friend.

Of course, as far as my family knew, it was only our family that was present at dinner. My brother, Kyouya, and my sister, Miyuki, were talking about their most recent training sessions at our family's dojo. Between that and my parents' constant flirting I'd always been a bit of a fifth wheel, which could make me feel a bit lonely at times. But I knew they all loved me, and I loved them.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

After dinner I told my family I was going to turn in early as the day had been pretty tiring for me. Which was true; meeting a ghost was not something someone could make light of.

After I'd changed into my pyjamas I laid down in bed with Fate-chan floating above me.

"Your family is very nice." She said to me.

A small smile crept on my lips. "They are, aren't they? I'm a very lucky girl."

I could see a small smile forming on her lips as well. "I'm glad you realize how lucky you are Nanoha, most people take having a nice family for granted." Her smile turned slightly melancholic at her own statement.

"Is something wrong Fate-chan?" worry coloured the tone of my voice.

"I'm not sure." Her answer was quite vague.

"You're not sure…?" I tried to get her to elaborate.

"Sorry, my memories aren't all there. I hardly remember anything from my life. All I have is my name. Well that, and sometimes thoughts like the one I spoke just now cross my mind. Nothing concrete though."

I wasn't quite sure what to say. She had amnesia from the looks of it. But what worried me more was what she'd said about me being lucky; I could think of a multitude of reasons she'd say such a thing.

I really didn't want to do that though.

"Hey, remember what we talked about earlier today? About you being unable to touch things?" I questioned.

I got a small nod in response.

"Well…" _Sheesh, this is going to be embarrassing._ I thought."Could I… try and touch you?"

"I see no harm in that." She said with a small smile. I loved it when she smiled like that; though small, it was a very genuine and honest smile.

She hovered to the side of the bed rather than above me. As she was floating there I carefully stretched my arm towards her face, unsure of what to expect.

I definitely didn't expect _that_ though.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Fate POV:**_  
It was, without a doubt, the most surprising thing that happened that day. I saw her arm coming towards me ever so slowly. I didn't have any expectations really. But then I felt it, her warm hand resting against my cheek. It surprised me so much I flinched. Nanoha seemed very surprised as well as she quickly pulled her hand back with a small 'Kyaa!'.

"Did I just…?" Nanoha asked with widened eyes and a slightly flushed face.

"I think you did…" I answered with equally wide-open eyes.

I brought myself to a cross-legged sitting position while Nanoha sat up straight in her bed and took a cross-legged position as well. Like that, we sat straight opposite each other. Nanoha on her bed, while I was floating in the air.

Carefully, we brought our hands up and reached out to each other. Inching ever closer and closer our hands were barely a few centimetres apart when loud knocking on Nanoha's bedroom door made the both of us jump.

"Nanoha, are you alright?! I heard a scream!" I heard the voice of Nanoha's father, Takamachi Shiro-san call from the other side of the door.

"I'm fine dad!" Nanoha called back.

"You sure?!" Shiro-san sounded like he was ready to bust down the door to defend Nanoha from whatever could bring her harm.

Nanoha sighed. "Yes dad, I am _absolutely_ fine." She said, stressing the 'absolutely' in that sentence.

"Okay, if you say so. Good night Nanoha." Shiro-san still didn't sound convinced but at least he calmed down.

"Good night dad." Nanoha smiled.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Nanoha POV:**_  
I let out a long sigh once it was clear my father had left.

"Nyahaha… He's so over-protective sometimes." I laughed apologetically at Fate.

"I think it's great, you truly are a lucky person Nanoha." I could see the sadness in Fate-chan's eyes.

"Something wrong Fate-chan?" She looked like she was remembering something. And whatever it was, it wasn't a happy memory.

"Still not sure…" the blonde ghost whispered softly.

We sat in silence for a moment before I carefully and quietly crawled out of bed. Fate-chan was staring out the window and seemed deep in thought. I wanted to comfort her. She was still hovering next to my bed and without thinking I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. I closed my eyes and placed my head on top of hers.

I felt her body tense for a moment before she allowed herself to relax in my arms.

"Seems like we really can make physical contact huh?" I spoke after a while.

I felt her nod in response.

"Don't worry Fate-chan. I'm sure we'll find out what happened to you." I whispered. "I'll help you every step of the way."

"R-really?" I heard her say with a crack in her voice. It was obvious she'd been crying while I held her.

"I promise." I stated firmly. "With the two of us, we'll have your memories back in no time."

She turned around in my arms and hugged me back.

"Thank you… Nanoha."

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

The next morning I woke up before my phone's alarm clock rang. It took me a moment to remember the events of the day before but as soon as I remembered I shot up and looked around my room. I was relieved to see Fate next to my bed, floating in mid-air while she was curled up into a ball like a sleeping kitten.

I quickly grabbed my phone and saw its alarm would have sounded in five more minutes. I quickly disabled the alarm and got out of bed. As quietly as I could I went to the bathroom to wash up and get dressed. As soon as that was done I went back to my bedroom to see Fate still sleeping.

After a bit of hesitation I carefully poked her cheek. Her sleeping face had looked so content I felt kind of bad for waking her. But I had to go to school and she probably wouldn't have been happy to wake up and find I wasn't there.

"Wakey-wakey little miss ghost." I cooed as her face contracted from the sudden touch. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, she looked at me for a moment before a small but honest smile was drawn on her face.

"How did you sleep?" I asked her.

I took a step back as she stretched her entire body and brought herself into an upright position.

"I slept great," she said, "though I did kind of miss the embrace of a warm blanket."

"Nyahaha! Maybe tonight we should sleep together." As soon as I'd said it I slapped my hand in front of my mouth and felt my cheeks flare up. Fate-chan's face flared up as well.

"I mean, not like that! Just… so I can… keep you warm…?" I felt like I was only digging a deeper grave for myself as my voice trailed off.

We stared each other in the eyes for a few seconds before we both burst into laughter. I noticed then how beautiful Fate-chan's laughter was; it was very soft, like her voice, but at the same time it was very melodic and reminded me of a singing angel.

I didn't understand why, but something about Fate-chan was different from my other friends.

And that wasn't just because she was a ghost.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

Breakfast was almost just as embarrassing as dinner the night before as my parents were in an especially flirty mood that morning. I glanced at Fate-chan whom was hanging above the table, 'lying' on her stomach, head supported on her hands, looking at my parents. I couldn't see her face from where I sat so I had no idea what she was thinking.

Once breakfast was done Fate-chan and I made our way to school. On the way there, I decided to show that my promise from earlier that morning wasn't an empty one.

"Ne Fate-chan, our school library has a newspaper archive..."

"Okay...?" she wasn't quite sure where I was going with this.

"Well, I've been giving it some thought and maybe, if your death... sheesh, that's still such an unreal thing to say nyaha..." I laughed nervously. "Anyway, if 'it' isn't anything too recent we might be able to find something..." my voice trailed off slightly as I stared at the ground for a moment. Thinking about it, that idea is pretty horrible.

Looking back up at Fate-chan she smiled at me. Such a beautiful smile... Gah, focus Nanoha!

"Thank you Nanoha, that really means a lot to me." My cheeks reddened slightly at Fate-chan's gratitude. _Why do I blush so much around her?_

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Fate POV:**_  
When we arrived at Nanoha's school I recognized it as one of the buildings I had passed the day before. Once we got close to the front gate I saw two girls calling out her name.

"Ah! Arisa-chan, Suzuka-chan!" Nanoha waved back. I followed her closely as she ran up to her friends. The three of them started chatting happily. I didn't follow their conversation though; I could only stare at Nanoha as she was speaking so animatedly. I could just look at her happy face forever.

What was that feeling I had? That fluttery feeling in my stomach?

"Where is Hayate-chan by the way?" Nanoha's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"She said she'd be at the hospital today. Something about some check-ups." The blonde girl, whom I learned was named Arisa, answered.

Right then the school bell rang and the three girls ran inside. I carefully followed behind. I was pretty excited to see what Nanoha's school was like.

* * *

***~-[**** End of Chapter ****]-~***

* * *

Please leave me a review telling me what you think; I love getting feedback and I don't mind people being critical. In fact, I welcome it!

***~-[**** May we meet again, fare thee well! ****]-~***


	3. Private Eye, Takamachi Nanoha

_**Story Title:  
**_Bound by Regret

_**Genres/'Tags':  
**_Mystery / Supernatural / Romance / Yuri / Alternate Universe / Ghost

_**Summary:  
**_Walking home from school, Takamachi Nanoha sees a mysterious blonde girl in the park. Entranced by the girl's mysterious air, Nanoha walks up to her and asks her who she is. The response she gets is not quite what she expected: "Y-you can... see me?" ::AU & Nanofate::

_**Disclaimer:  
**_I do not own Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha and all related trademarks are owned by Seven Arcs.

_**Author's Note:**_  
I don't expect to have many Author's Notes, but I just wanted to remind you all that I am still looking for a beta-reader to help me proof-read this story. If you're interested just send me a PM. Only serious applications please; I need someone capable since English is not my native language.

* * *

***~-[**** Chapter #3: Private Eye, Takamachi Nanoha ****]-~***

* * *

_**Fate POV:**_  
It turned out first period was maths. I followed the lessons looking over Nanoha's shoulder. I found the class very interesting as the teacher was going over basic algebra to refresh the students' minds on the matter.

When a problem was written on the whiteboard as an example I found myself solving it rather quickly while the rest of the students were busily scribbling in their notebooks or pressing buttons on their calculators.

"X=1.6" I said out loud.

Nanoha slightly turned her head in my direction and whispered: "You sure Fate-chan?"

"Mn-hm!" I hummed confidently.

At my response Nanoha raised her hand.

"Yes, Takamachi-san." The teacher said.

"X=1.6?" Nanoha answered carefully.

"Correct. Well done Takamachi-san. Always glad to see a student keep up with their studies!" The teacher smiled proudly.

"You did that without writing it out or using a calculator Fate-chan? That's pretty amazing!" Nanoha whispered to me when the teacher continued explaining how to handle certain problems.

"It's nothing special." I tried to wave off her praise.

"But it is! Fate-chan is a genius!"

"Mou, stop teasing me Nanoha!" I said, feeling my face heat up considerably. In all honesty, I was pretty happy with the compliment.

***~-[**** X ****]-~ ***

During lunchtime I followed Nanoha and her friends to the roof. Once there, Arisa-chan and Suzuka-chan pulled out some very expensive looking bento's.

I was impressed enough to let out a small 'wow', causing Nanoha to start giggling.

"Hm? Is there something on your mind Nanoha-chan?" Suzuka-chan asked.

"Oh, no. Nothing." Nanoha answered with a short chuckle.

"I bet she was daydreaming again." Arisa-chan said while chewing her food.

"Nyahahahaha!" Nanoha only laughed with slightly flushed cheeks, scratching them with slight embarrassment.

"I'm sorry for that Nanoha." I apologized. "I made you look like a fool in front of your friends."

Nanoha closed her eyes and slightly shook her head, as if telling me not to worry about it.

During the rest of lunch Nanoha and her friends were just having some small talk. Everything was peaceful as the three girls in front of me were either complaining about certain teachers or, conversely, talking about how cool that and that teacher was. I liked listening to them talk about these mundane things; it helped me to not think about my current situation.

Near the end of lunch break Suzuka-chan seemed slightly unnerved for some reason.

"Um, Arisa-chan? Nanoha-chan? Do you also have the feeling it's not just us here?" She asked, shifting her eyes around a bit as if looking for another person to be there.

Arisa-chan blinked a few times before taking a look around herself. "Now that you mention it… I actually do. Eh, it's probably nothing, right Nanoha-chan?"

Nanoha took a quick glance at me. I shrugged and flew a quick round around the roof but found no one. As far as I knew, the only people on the roof were Nanoha, Arisa-chan, Suzuka-chan and…

"Wait… you think she's picking up on _me_?" I asked surprised.

Nanoha shrugged, both in response to Arisa-chan as well as to me.

"I don't know." She said as casual as possible.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Nanoha POV:**_  
It was a few hours later when classes had ended for the day. I saw Arisa-chan and Suzuka-chan off. When she saw the limousine Fate-chan let out another 'wow', making me giggle again.

Once they were gone I led Fate to the school library. Once there I saw a familiar face with blonde hair, tied in a long ponytail and green eyes behind glasses.

"Hey Yuuno-kun!" I greeted him enthusiastically. Yuuno-kun's full name was Yuuno Scrya. He had a part-time job in the school library and also tutored some of our fellow students. He was especially good at history. I met him about three years before in junior high, when he tutored me and helped me pass my history class. I considered him a good and reliable friend.

"Hello Nanoha, what brings you to the library?" Yuuno-kun asked me with a smile.

"Well, I wanted to take a look at the newspaper archive; I'm kind of researching something." I explained.

"Well that shouldn't be a problem. Is there anything I can help you with?"

I cast a quick questioning glance at Fate.

"If you trust him then I will as well." She spoke with a small smile.

"Sure Yuuno-kun. That's very much appreciated." I smiled at him.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

"Alright, so what're you looking into exactly?" Yuuno-kun asked when we found ourselves in front of a number of shelves filled with stacks upon stacks of newspapers.

"Well… Um… this may sound a bit weird but I'm looking for… Well, there's this girl who died and I kind of want to know how…" I explained rather awkwardly. It was kind of a weird story.

"Alright…" Yuuno-kun looked at me a bit surprised but didn't question it. "Do you know this girl's name?"

"Uh yeah, it's Fate Testarossa." I told him.

"Testarossa… Strange, that name sounds familiar…" Yuuno-kun seemed lost in thought for a moment but shrugged it off. "Anyway, do you know anything else? Like, a date of death, or at least the year in which she died? That would narrow our search down tremendously."

Fate-chan, who had positioned herself behind Yuuno-kun, closed her eyes and seemed to be deep in thought for a second.

"I'm sure I was still alive this year…" She said after a moment. "I'm sure of it."

"Um, she died this year. In fact, it might've been fairly recent." I told Yuuno-kun.

"Alright." Yuuno-kun grabbed a stack of newspapers from one of the shelves and laid them down on a nearby table.

Both of us took a seat at the table next to each other. Fate-chan 'laid' down on her stomach next to where I sat.

"These are all this year's newspapers. We don't have the most recent ones though as they're at least a week old, nor do we have all newspapers. We only the more reliable ones since they're for studying purposes." Yuuno-kun explained to me.

I nodded and grabbed a few of the newspapers and started skimming through them, looking for anything that could have something to do with Fate-chan's death.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

A yawn escaped my mouth as I stretched my stiffened limbs.

"You holding up there Nanoha?" Yuuno-kun asked with a short chuckle.

"Mou, not all of us are able to read for hours on end without taking a break Yuuno-kun." I huffed.

"Fair enough." Yuuno-kun laughed.

I took a good look at the table. We had ploughed through almost half of the newspapers and it was getting late. I felt a bit bad towards Fate-chan but it was about time for me to go home.

"Ne Yuuno-kun? I think I should start heading home." I said while looking at Fate-chan apologetically.

"Sure Nanoha, you go ahead and I'll clean up here." Yuuno-kun chuckled at the second yawn that escaped me. I decided to ignore his laughter.

"Thanks for your help Yuuno-kun. If you have time, can I come back tomorrow?" I asked.

"Sure, I'll see you tomorrow then, _detective_ Takamachi." Yuuno-kun laughed loudly at his own joke.

I just rolled my eyes. "Mou, Yuuno-kun…"

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

"Sorry we didn't find anything." I apologised to Fate-chan as we walked back home together.

"Don't worry about it Nanoha," Fate-chan said gently, "Rome wasn't built in a day either right?"

I smiled. "That's true. Still, I wish we'd found something." I lamented.

"Like I said, don't worry Nanoha. It already means a lot to me that you're willing to help me. Yuuno-kun as well. I wish I could thank him personally." Fate-chan cast her gaze at the ground; she still seemed to struggle with her current state of being.

"Yeah…" was all I could say.

The rest of the trip home passed by in silence.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

That evening before it was time to get to bed, Fate-chan was staring out the window again, looking up at the moon. The only source of light in my bedroom was the lamp on my desk as I was finishing up my homework, so there was barely any light to obstruct the view from the window.

Once I was done with my homework I switched my desk lamp off. I turned around towards my bed and my eyes fell on Fate-chan. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked as the moonlight shone down on her golden tresses. The otherworldly glow she has as a ghost only seemed to intensify.

For a moment, I felt like I was gazing upon an angel. _Just what is this feeling? I've never looked at anyone else like this before..._

I shook off the unfamiliar feeling, quietly made my way to my bed and lied down.

"Ne, Fate-chan?" I tried to get her attention.

It seemed I was successful as she slowly turned towards me. Her eyes looked especially sad and melancholic at that moment. I felt the urge to cry the tears that she looked like she was about to, but didn't.

"Can you come here for a moment?" I asked, fighting back the lump that had formed in my throat.

Fate-chan floated over slowly and carefully. Once she was within reach I grabbed her arm and pulled her onto my bed.

I laid her down to the left of me, making her lie down on my left arm while I stretched my right over her, pulling her into a hug.

I pulled her head to my chest and gently stroked her soft hair.

"Please don't be sad Fate-chan," I whispered, "I promised you we would figure out what happened to you didn't I?" I said softly.

It took a moment but eventually I felt her nod her head.

"And I will tell you right now, Takamachi Nanoha is a woman of her word!" I assured her confidently.

Fate-chan took a moment to let this sink in before she nodded again, more confidently this time. I couldn't see her face but I was sure she was smiling that genuine smile I had come to love.

"Thank you, _detective_ Takamachi." Fate-chan chuckled softly.

"Mou, et tu Fate-chan?" I sighed. Though I was glad Fate-chan felt good enough to make a joke. Even if she had just as bad a sense of humour as Yuuno-kun.

* * *

***~-[**** End of Chapter ****]-~***

* * *

Please leave me a review telling me what you think; I love getting feedback and I don't mind people being critical. In fact, I welcome it!

***~-[**** May we meet again, fare thee well! ****]-~***


	4. A Lead

_**Story Title:  
**_Bound by Regret

_**Genres/'Tags':  
**_Mystery / Supernatural / Romance / Yuri / Alternate Universe / Ghost

_**Summary:  
**_Walking home from school, Takamachi Nanoha sees a mysterious blonde girl in the park. Entranced by the girl's mysterious air, Nanoha walks up to her and asks her who she is. The response she gets is not quite what she expected: "Y-you can... see me?" ::AU & Nanofate::

_**Disclaimer:  
**_I do not own Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha and all related trademarks are owned by Seven Arcs.

On an unrelated side note: Today, February 4th 2014, is my 22nd birthday. Happy birthday to me!

* * *

***~-[**** Chapter #4: A Lead ****]-~***

* * *

_**Fate POV:  
**_That morning I woke up in Nanoha's arms. I felt safe and secure, not to mention warm and comfortable. I snuggled a bit closer up to Nanoha; it was so nice to be able to make physical contact. I'd wanted to help Nanoha and Yuuno-kun the other day with their research but as a ghost, I couldn't touch the newspapers. The best I could do was read with them over their shoulders.

_Ugh... It's so frustrating... I feel so... helpless!_

I felt my fingers tighten their hold on Nanoha's arm.

"Fate-chan?" I heard Nanoha's sleepy voice.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Nanoha POV:  
**_I woke up when I freely something warm pressing against me. Opening my eyes I saw Fate-chan in my arms, pressed against my body, her fingers clutching my arm with all their strength.

"Fate-chan?" I murmured, barely awake.

As she looked up to me I felt like those deep pools of burgundy would swallow me whole. And I wouldn't mind if they did.

Then I saw the frustration they held. I was fully awake in an instant.

"Are you okay Fate-chan?" It hurt me to see her like this; I couldn't begin to understand how she felt. Being either a ghost _or_ an amnesiac would be hard enough, but _both_?

Slowly, she nodded.

"I'll be fine..." she whispered with little conviction in her voice.

I couldn't do much more than hold her as close as I could.

_We have to figure this all out... Failure is NOT an option!_

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

During school I was completely unable to focus. Even during lunch I could only think of going to the library and looking for anything, anything at all, that could have something to do with Fate-chan's death.

Arisa-chan glared at me more than once as she and Suzuka-chan tried to include me in their conversation.

"Like I was saying Nanoha-chan, Hayate-chan caught a flu yesterday. Ironic isn't it? She goes to the hospital for a check-up and promptly she catches a flu." Arisa-chan told us.

"We should pay her a visit! I'm sure that'll cheer her up." Suzuka-chan suggested.

At first I thought that was a great idea but then my eyes fell on Fate-chan and I remembered I had made her a promise. I was about to say I couldn't make it when…

"Um, I spoke with one of her relatives today, that middle school girl, Vita-chan I believe, and she said Hayate Chan is very weak and cannot accept any visitors. Should be fine in a day or two, three though." Arisa-chan said.

"Then how about were visit her this Sunday? It should be fine by then right?" I suggested. I figured that would give me plenty of time to find at least _something_.

"That's a great idea Nanoha-chan!" Suzuka-chan agreed. Arisa-chan nodded her agreement as well.

Fate-chan smiled and said: "I'd love to meet more of your friends Nanoha."

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

Once afternoon classes were over and I had waved Arisa-chan and Suzuka-chan goodbye I made my way over to the library, Fate-chan in tow.

Once there Yuuno-kun walked up to me with a big grin on his face.

"Good afternoon Yuuno-kun. You look happy." I remarked with a smile of my own.

"Sure am. Listen Nanoha, you remember how I said the name Testarossa sounded familiar to me yesterday?"

"Yeah. Why, did you find anything?!" Hopeful didn't even begin to describe what I felt at that moment.

"Don't get your hopes up too much Nanoha, I don't know if this helps much but here." Yuuno-kun handed me what looked like a report of sorts. I took it from him and took a look at it.

"Precia Testarossa…" I read part of the title. "Wait, who is this? She has the same last name as-"

"Yup," Yuuno-kun interrupted me. "This is a report I made on Precia Testarossa last year." He started explaining.

"Precia Testarossa was a leading scientist in genetics. She was one of the most successful female scientists of the last decade. However, after she lost her daughter about eight years ago she fell into clinical depression and became addicted to alcohol. Two years after she'd lost her daughter she died due to acute liver failure." Yuuno-kun explained while I started skimming through his report.

"And you think she has something to do with Fate-chan?" I asked.

"Fate-chan? You sound like you knew her real well Nanoha. Well, they say most private detectives build up some sort of relation with their subjects." He snickered.

"Yuuno-kun!" I blushed slightly, though for other reasons than he might've thought.

"Anyway, yes I do. I first thought that the daughter Precia lost could be the Fate Testarossa you mentioned. But that wouldn't be possible if she died this year like you said, so I did some more digging."

"And…?"

"As it turns out, Precia Testarossa had a second daughter. It is not entirely impossible that this second daughter might've been Fate Testarossa."

My mind was working like crazy to process this stream of new information. _Fate-chan might've been the daughter of a famous scientist? Sounds plausible._ I glanced over at Fate-chan. She was staring off into the distance, probably trying to see if anything that Yuuno-kun just told me sounded familiar. I couldn't read her expression so I turned back to Yuuno-kun.

"Assuming she was the daughter of this Precia Testarossa, how does that help us?"

"Well, according to my research Precia died six years ago right?"

I nodded in confirmation.

"That means that Fate Testarossa was probably put into foster care. Believe it or not but Precia lived here in Uminari. It's not unthinkable that Fate might've been brought to the local orphanage."

"I see. Thank you so much Yuuno-kun!" I smiled heartily.

"Don't worry about it. It seemed very important to you so I just wanted to help. You can keep that report if you want, maybe it'll prove helpful. You never know."

"Thanks again Yuuno-kun." I said as I gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, causing Yuuno-kun to blush slightly.

"Just see that you solve this case, P.I. Takamachi." He laughed.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

I rushed my way over to the local orphanage. Without thinking I ran inside where I saw an older woman sitting behind a desk in the front hall.

"Excuse me!" I said as I walked up to the older woman. The woman looked up from her desk and eyed me quickly.

"What do you want?" She asked, clearly irritated.

Her tone made me gulp subconsciously but I quickly collected myself and began speaking.

"I uh… was wondering if… a certain 'Fate Testarossa' has ever lived here…" The old lady eyed me for a moment before standing up from her desk and walking away with a quick 'Excuse me for a moment.'

Waiting patiently I made eye contact with Fate-chan. She looked incredibly nervous and to be honest I couldn't blame her; this was the best lead we had.

After a few minutes the old lady returned, holding a folder I could see was labelled 'Testarossa, F.'.

Managing to hide my excitement I walked up to the old lady.

"Fate Testarossa you said?"

I nodded, still trying to contain my excitement. _This is great! We're another step closer to finding out who exactly Fate-chan is and what happened to her!_

The lady opened the folder and started skimming through the files. Fate-chan moved behind the old lady and took a look over her shoulder.

"C-can I see?" I asked carefully.

"What? Are you stupid? Of course you can't! Why would I just let any random kid that happens to know the name of someone who used to live here take a look at one of these files? Scram!" She shut the folder harshly, making Fate-chan flinch before she started shooing me out of the building.

Once outside I wondered how she ever got hired with an attitude like that.

"I'm sorry Fate-chan…" I said, my eyes dropping to the ground. _I was so sure we were going to find out more right then and there…_

"It was not entirely wasted." Fate-chan told me, cupping my chin and bringing my eyes up to look at her.

"I saw something important on one of the papers she skimmed past."

My eyes grew wide. _Of course, Fate-chan managed to look over that old lady's shoulder._

"So what did you see?!" I could barely contain my excitement; we still had a lead!

"I saw the name of the person whom adopted me. I believe it was a 'Lindy Harlaown'."

"W-w-wait!" I exclaimed at the familiar name. "You mean… headmaster Harlaown-san?!"

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

My mind was working overtime. _Headmaster Harlaown-san had adopted Fate-chan?_ As far as I knew, the headmaster had only one child: a boy, Chrono-kun.

Then I remembered Hayate-chan had noticed how headmaster Harlaown-san had been absent during this year's opening ceremony. Did that have to do with anything? _Gah, it doesn't matter! Headmaster Harlaown-san has the answers. I need to told to her!_

I ran as fast as my feet could take me back to school. Fate-chan flew beside me. From what I could see she looked very determined and slightly nervous. My heart was pounding . It felt like we were _so_ close!

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

"Headmaster Harlaown-san?!" I yelled as I threw open the door leading to her office. I was met with the startled face of the headmaster's secretary, Amy-san.

After she overcame her initial shock she explained to me that Harlaown-san had already left the school. I frantically asked her where she could've gone. Caught off guard by my insistence that it was extremely important, she told me Harlaown-san had probably gone to the cemetery.

I knew exactly for whom and why.

Storming out of the office, Fate-chan and I left the school and ran for Uminari Graveyard.

I was seriously out of breath when we arrived at the cemetery gate. Taking a moment to catch my breath I took a good look around the graveyard. The graveyard was well-kept as the gravestones looked pristine and the grass looked healthy.

Then I saw her standing in front of a small grave; headmaster Harlaown-san, her teal hair was hard to miss.

Not wanting to disturb her I came closer but kept my distance. Fate-chan stayed right beside me. I guess she was nervous to see if she would recognize the person standing at that grave. And I'm sure she was even more nervous to see the name on the grave.

We watched the headmaster place a small bouquet on the grave before putting another one of the grave beside it. _Two people? Who else…?_

Saying her goodbyes, Harlaown-san turned around and our eyes met. She looked shocked for a moment before her gaze softened.

"You're… Takamachi Nanoha-san, correct?"

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

We found ourselves at a small café in the shopping district. I watched in slight disgust as Harlaown-san put at least ten sugar cubes in her cup of green tea.

It was silent between us. She had led me here and I hadn't said a word except when we ordered our drinks.

"Harlaown-san…" I tried to start the conversation.

"Please, call me Lindy." She interrupted.

"L-Lindy-san." I tried again. She looked at me with gentle eyes and a friendly, though somewhat sad smile. I tried to explain why I had wanted to see her, but couldn't find the words.

After a few moments of silence in which I tried to find the words, _any_ words to explain, Lindy-san spoke up.

"I must say, I wasn't quite expecting to run into a student at the cemetery."

I nodded nervously, still unsure of what to say. When Lindy-san led us to this café, I got a look at Fate-chan's face and from what I could tell, she _did_ recognize Lindy-san.

"Care to tell me what you were doing there?" Lindy-san's voice held no anger or anything, only genuine curiosity.

"Um… I… uh…" I swallowed hard, gathering all the courage I could muster.

"Fate Testarossa." I almost yelled, closing my eyes and clenching my fists.

It stayed silent. Unsure of what was happening I slowly opened my eyes. I could see the shock on Lindy-san's face.

"How did you…? Where did you hear that name?" Her voice was slightly shaking and I immediately regretted saying Fate-chan's name like that, but I had come too far to give up now.

"It's… difficult to explain." I mumbled.

Lindy-san took my chin between her fingers and forced me to look at her. Her gaze wasn't questioning, rather it was like she was searching for something.

She sat back as she let go and sighed before a small smile appeared on her face, though there was no happiness in that smile.

"Do you really want to know, Nanoha-san? I warn you now, it's all rather… well… I don't have a word for it really…" Her voice was still shaky, but also very clear for some reason. I understood then that Lindy-san was a very strong woman.

But… I wanted to know. And from the look in her eyes, I could tell Fate-chan really wanted to know as well.

"Yes, please tell me what happened, Lindy-san." I spoke without hesitation.

* * *

***~-[**** End of Chapter ****]-~***

* * *

Please leave me a review telling me what you think; I love getting feedback and I don't mind people being critical. In fact, I welcome it!

***~-[**** May we meet again, fare thee well! ****]-~***


	5. Freak Accident

_**Story Title:  
**_Bound by Regret

_**Genres/'Tags':  
**_Mystery / Supernatural / Romance / Yuri / Alternate Universe / Ghost

_**Summary:  
**_Walking home from school, Takamachi Nanoha sees a mysterious blonde girl in the park. Entranced by the girl's mysterious air, Nanoha walks up to her and asks her who she is. The response she gets is not quite what she expected: "Y-you can... see me?" ::AU & Nanofate::

_**Disclaimer:  
**_I do not own Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha and all related trademarks are owned by Seven Arcs.

_**Warning:  
**_This chapter might force me to up the rating to 'M'. If you think I should up the rating based on this chapter then please let me know.

Unrelated side note: I've become seriously addicted to Danmaku games over the past few weeks, specifically Touhou 6: EoSD.  
I will defeat you one day, Patchouli! Though I am slightly shuddering at the thought of facing Sakuya after that. Oh man… what have I gotten myself into?!

* * *

***~-[**** Chapter #5: Freak Accident ****]-~***

* * *

_**Fate POV:  
**_My breathing stopped, not that it mattered. Was this it then? Was this the moment I had been waiting for? The moment I saw her I swore Lindy-san looked familiar. It was like I knew her and cared for her deeply.

If anyone knew what had happened, it was her.

"Yes, please tell me what happened, Lindy-san." Nanoha said, no hesitation in her voice. Had the question been directed at me, I probably would've hesitated. Because of that, I was even more glad Nanoha was there with me.

"Alright then." Lindy-san said before taking a deep breath.

"I will start from the beginning…"

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Lindy POV:  
**__It all started six years ago when I met Fate at the orphanage. While all of the other children were happily playing with each other, she just sat there on a chair, staring blankly in front of her. The moment I saw her I felt the need to help her. What started as me visiting the orphanage in order to fulfil my own selfish desire to have a daughter, became a personal mission to rescue this little blonde girl in front of me. Don't get me wrong; I love my son. But I had always secretly dreamt of having a daughter. Something that became nothing more than a dream after my husband died when Chrono was only three years old._

_I took a seat right next to this sad-looking girl. As I sat there I stared off in front of me, like she did. After what seemed like at least fifteen minutes I felt two young curious eyes slowly looking up at me. Careful not to spook her I slowly turned my head and we met eye to eye. Her red eyes filled with confusion and a certain sadness that nearly broke my heart._

_I smiled at her. She just kept her eyes focused on my face, utterly lost as if she didn't understand the concept of a smile._

"_What is your name?" I asked softly. She averted her gaze, and stared in front of her again. I did the same and we sat there for who knows how long. All I know is that at one point one of the orphanage workers came in, telling me it was getting late._

_I nodded back at her and stood up. I was about to walk out the door when I felt a small tug on my coat. I slowly turned around and saw the little blonde girl I had sat next to._

"_F-Fate Testarossa. M-my… name…" She stuttered carefully, eyes fixed on the ground._

"_Pleased to meet you Fate-san. My name is Lindy Harlaown." I smiled. She looked up at me and again I could see the sadness in those burgundy orbs._

"_Would you like to talk, Fate-san?" I felt the eyes of the orphanage worker from earlier prodding me in the back, but I was not about to walk away on this girl now._

_Fate stared me directly in the eyes. It was almost as if she was looking for some ulterior motive behind my wanting to talk with her. Finding none, she nodded._

_That was the day I met and adopted Fate Testarossa._

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_Fate was a very reserved person. I knew her mother died of alcohol poisoning but I didn't know any further details. However, I knew that it was not uncommon for children of alcoholic parents to get abused so I had my suspicions. Not that I ever got to confirm them, Fate-san hardly ever spoke of her life with her biological mother. The most she ever told me that her once-loving mother had become very sad._

_When I asked her what made her mother so sad all she did was bury her face in her hands and cry. Between her sobs I heard her mumble a name: 'Alicia'._

_I decided it was best not to ask again. I figured that if she ever felt inclined to tell me more she would do so when she was ready to._

_Fate got along quite well with Chrono, one would almost swear they really were siblings._

_Despite everything seemingly going well I didn't think Fate was ready for school yet. She was still such a shy little girl and had a hard time connecting to people._

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_A year or two back I took Fate to meet one of my colleagues from Tokyo, Leti Lowran-san. In an attempt to teach Fate how to connect with people I left her in Leti-san's care._

_Leti-san had a lot of experience with this sort of thing and within half a year Fate had made significant progress. She became good friends with Leti-san's son, Griffith-kun and even made a number of other friends during her stay._

_She had improved so much I wanted to have her join high school back here in Uminari. She was to enrol this very year. But then… _the accident_ happened only a week ago._

_I came by to visit her in Tokyo. We were to return to Uminari together the next day and decided we might as well go on a small shopping trip._

_Who could've thought such a fun day could turn to such tragedy?_

_We had just finished our shopping and were walking back to Leti-san's house, wondering what we'd have for dinner. Leti-san had told us it'd be a surprise for when we got back._

_Our walk back took us past a construction site where construction workers were renovating a building._

_Fate looked up at the scaffolding for a second, admiring the work that was being done. I noticed she'd stopped walking a few seconds later._

_I turned around. "Come on Fate-san, we can't let Leti-san wait now can we?"_

_She looked back at me, a most beautiful smile adorned her face. Everything was great. _Life_ was great, but then…_

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Nanoha POV:**__  
_I was holding my breath, incredibly curious to what exactly had happened. I could see tears starting to form in the corners of Lindy-san's eyes. Her breathing became very shallow as she was undoubtedly reliving some very horrid memories.

I reached for her hand and held it in an attempt to comfort her.

She looked up at me. Her expression going from sadness to surprise and then to a small smile.

"You're a good person Nanoha-san." Lindy-san said as she took a deep breath, preparing herself to tell me exactly what happened that day.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Lindy POV:  
**__The moment I noticed it, it was too late. All I could do was scream in horror as a steel pole fell from the scaffolding above and hit the blonde that was smiling at me only a second ago._

_The pole pierced through her shoulder and pinned her to the ground. I dropped everything I was carrying and ran for the girl that had only recently started calling me 'Kaasan'._

_Her face showed absolute horror and I am sure mine did as well. She screamed and cried as blood kept pouring from her wounds._

_The pole had pierced through her shoulder and part of her upper body, coming back out at the hip. A small group of people had gathered, a number of them calling for an emergency ambulance. All I could do was hold the young woman as her every breath became more and more laboured._

_With an extreme amount of effort Fate managed to speak._

"_Thank you, for being my mother. Lindy-kaasan."_

"_Ssh, don't speak. Save your strength!" I pleaded._

"_I'm sorry for never telling you… about Alicia… I wanted to tell you. But I was afraid you'd hate me…"_

"_Then tell me once you're healed! Just please, do not die on me Fate-san!"_

"_There are so many things I regret in my life… But there's one thing I can still do… I love you, Lindy-kaasan."_

_Tears started flooding down my face. "I love you too, Fate-san…" I managed to choke out. A smile formed on Fate's face, before she closed her eyes and her final breath escaped her._

_It felt like an eternity before the ambulance arrived and in all that time, I clung to her body in the futile hope she'd open her eyes._

_She never did._

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Nanoha POV:  
**_It took me a moment to register the tears running down my face.

"Then, that grave…?" I managed to ask with a cracking voice.

"Yes, that was Fate-san's grave. She was buried a day before the new school year started, next to my late husband, Clyde. She truly was part of the Harlaown family, I don't care what anyone says. She was _family_."

I felt defeated; secretly, I had hoped Fate-chan wasn't dead. But my final hope was just buried in the Uminari Cemetery.

"Thank you for listening, Nanoha-san. I'm sure you and Fate-san would've been great friends." Lindy-san said before standing up. She placed a small amount of money on the table to pay for the drinks. Then she left. I had wanted to tell her that she was right, that Fate-chan and I had indeed become great friends. But telling her that I met Fate-chan as a ghost? I felt that there was no way that claim would've fallen into good earth.

Once Lindy-san had left I just sat there.

_To think, she died such a horrible death… Poor Fa-_

_Fate-chan!_

I quickly turned and saw Fate-chan hadn't moved from her spot next to me ever since Lindy-san began speaking.

I observed her, she was shaking slightly but her face showed no sign of tears. Her eyes looked empty, as if she'd died. Then again, she had. And now, she knew exactly how she died. I couldn't even begin to fathom what she must've been feeling.

I opened my mouth; I wanted to let her know I was there for her, when she spoke up.

"Lindy-kaasan, she was the first person to break down the walls I had built up around me when I was sent to the orphanage." She said, her voice surprisingly steady.

Then, she turned to face me and our eyes made contact. The emptiness was gone, but it was filled with a sadness beyond comprehension.

"I remember now. I remember everything: how I felt when I first met Lindy-kaasan. How I felt that day, looking forward to going to high school in Uminari. I even remember the story I had always wanted to tell Lindy-kaasan. The story of my mother and my sister…"

"Fate-chan…" I whispered.

Fate-chan stood up and floated over to the café door.

"Come on, it's about time we head home." She said softly.

I stood up and walked up to the door as well. Fate-chan moved aside and I opened the door.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

On our way home neither of us spoke. I was still processing everything Lindy-san had told us. And I'm sure Fate-chan was struggling with her own memories as they'd seemed to have come back to her, at least in part.

'_There are so many things I regret in my life…'_

_What kind of things? What burden are you carrying Fate-chan?_

_Whatever it is, please realize you don't have to carry it alone; I am here for you._

Strengthening my resolve I lifted my head up and looked at the sky for a moment. We still had to figure out what was keeping Fate-chan bound to this world. According to Lindy-san she'd said there were a lot of things she regret. If my knowledge on ghosts was correct, then it was her regret that was keeping her bound to the world of the living.

If I were to help her set herself free, then I'd have to get her to tell me what those regrets were.

And then, we'd have to find a way for her to let these regrets go.

* * *

***~-[**** End of Chapter ****]-~***

* * *

Please leave me a review telling me what you think; I love getting feedback and I don't mind people being critical. In fact, I welcome it!

***~-[**** May we meet again, fare thee well! ****]-~***


	6. Sisters' Quarrel

_**Story Title:  
**_Bound by Regret

_**Genres/'Tags':  
**_Mystery / Supernatural / Romance / Yuri / Alternate Universe / Ghost

_**Summary:  
**_Walking home from school, Takamachi Nanoha sees a mysterious blonde girl in the park. Entranced by the girl's mysterious air, Nanoha walks up to her and asks her who she is. The response she gets is not quite what she expected: "Y-you can... see me?" ::AU & Nanofate::

_**Disclaimer:  
**_I do not own Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha and all related trademarks are owned by Seven Arcs.

* * *

***~-[**** Chapter #6: Sisters' Quarrel ****]-~***

* * *

_**Nanoha POV:  
**_It'd been a day after we heard the story of how Fate-chan died and since then, we hadn't spoken a word. I'd tried a few times to strike up conversation but Fate-chan always seemed deep in thought and didn't answer me.

It greatly affected my mood as I kept wondering about the sister that was mentioned, Alicia.

I remembered what Yuuno-kun told me about the death of Precia Testarossa's daughter. Was that Alicia? It must've been; Fate-chan died after Precia.

That evening, after I'd finished my homework, I tried asking Fate-chan.

"Fate-chan? I was wondering, remember when Yuuno-kun told us about… your mother, Precia?"

Fate-chan nodded but didn't look in my direction.

"I've been thinking, please correct me if I'm wrong, but… the daughter that died, it was Alicia wasn't it?"

"Yes." I was a little surprised at the verbal response, even if it was a barely audible whisper.

"Do you remember anything about her… _death_?" On one hand I felt bad for asking, because if she did it probably wasn't a good memory. On the other hand, I _really_ wanted to know.

"I… remember everything now…" Fate-chan whispered, though the way her voice sounded made it seem like she was on the verge of crying.

"Y-you don't have to tell me Fate-chan, if it's difficult-"

"No!" I jumped at Fate-chan's sudden outburst.

"It's alright. I should tell someone, sometime after all." Fate-chan turned around and I could see the pain in her eyes. "I never got the chance to tell this to her," Fate-chan waved her arm in the direction of my bedroom door. I understood she meant Lindy-san. "so I suppose you're the only person I can tell this to. But I am still afraid."

"Afraid of what Fate-chan?" I inquired.

"Afraid that you'll hate me…" her voice cracked slightly and a few tears started rolling down her cheeks.

I reached out and grabbed Fate-chan and held her close.

"Don't worry about that Fate-chan. In the few days I've known you it's become clear to me that you're a very kind and gentle, if somewhat shy person. There's no way I could ever hate you."

"Even if I told you my sister's death… was my fault?"

My breath got caught in my throat and my eyes grew wide.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Fate POV:**_  
As soon as those words had passed my lips I felt Nanoha's breathing catch for a second. She broke the hug with me and we came face-to-face with each other.

Shock was written all over her features. _I knew she'd hate me. Who wouldn't hate someone who caused the death of their own sister?_

I broke out of Nanoha's arms made my way to Nanoha's window, ready to leave. I was about to fly out the window when I felt a hand grab my shirt. I turned around and was shocked to see Nanoha looking at me angrily.

"Where do you think you're going?!" She nearly yelled at me.

"I thought you-"

"You thought I… what?" She asked. "Hate you?"

Unable to speak I could only nod.

"Fate-chan, you said you caused her death, not that you killed her. To me, that sounds like an accident."

I was still unable to speak as I could only stare at Nanoha.

"It _was_ an accident, wasn't it? Then tell me Fate-chan, tell me what happened."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Okay…"

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_It was eight years ago. Alicia and I were only nine. We lived together with our mother. I don't remember the details but I do remember that Alicia and I had had a fight. Mother did our best to have us make up but we were only children so that was easier said than done._

_Mother had a day off that day, so the three of us went to the park for a nice family afternoon. However, due to Alicia and me constantly bickering over every little thing our family afternoon was cut short._

_On our way back it happened. Normally Alicia and I would always hold hands but due to our argument we didn't that day._

_Without me holding her hand, Alicia ran ahead of me and Mother._

_Reaching a crossing, Alicia tried to stop but tripped over something, causing her to fall face-first onto the road._

"_Alicia!" I heard Mother yell._

_The moment I looked in Alicia's direction all I could see was how a car, unable to stop in time, ran Alicia over._

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

"Whatever happened after that, I don't remember. I do remember being at Alicia's funeral, but everything between seeing the car hit Alicia and attending the funeral… I don't even _want_ to remember." I concluded my story.

I met Nanoha's eyes. I expected her to tell me what monster I was; if I hadn't argued with Alicia over nothing, she and I would've been holding hands and she wouldn't have died. It was my fault. It was my fault my sister died and Mother started drowning her sorrows in alcohol.

What I didn't expect, was for her to hug me.

"Poor thing, you blamed yourself all those years didn't you?" From the sound of her voice, I could hear Nanoha was crying.

I once again found myself unable to speak. _Why? Why are you saying that? Why are you crying? It _was_ my fault! Of course I'm blaming myself!_

"I cannot imagine what it had to be like for both you and your mother… losing a sister and daughter like that…" Nanoha was tracing gentle circles on my back while she continued to hold me.

My eyes widened as more memories entered my mind.

"Mother…" the word passed my lips in a barely audible whisper. "Alicia's death was very hard on her… very hard…"

Wrapping my arms around Nanoha, returning her hug and holding her close, I kept talking.

"She started drowning her sorrows in alcohol. When she got really sad, she would get angry. I tried to calm her down, which caused her to lash out at times."

Nanoha buried her face in the crook of my neck.

"I didn't blame her… how could I? I deserved it. I deserved to be punished. What I didn't deserve… was what she did after that…"

"W-what did she do Fate-chan…?" Nanoha asked in a cracking whisper.

"She would hold me close, and say she was sorry for hitting me."

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Nanoha POV:**_  
I felt heartbroken; how could Fate-chan say she didn't deserve her mother to apologize to her. In my eyes, it was the least she could do.

_I don't understand Fate-chan… Why? Why are you so insistent on blaming yourself?_

"Fate-chan," I whispered, biting my lip to even out my voice, "did you want your sister to get hurt?"

"Wha- O-of course not! I would never…" She immediately responded, her voice trailed off as she murmured "_Never_ want to see my sister get hurt, no matter how upset I got… Never…"

"Then you know it's not your fault. It was an accident Fate-chan. A horrible accident, but an accident nonetheless. You're not to blame."

Fate-chan sniffed loudly. "I-it's j-j-just…" I heard soft sobs starting to escape her. "I never got t-t-to a-apologize to h-h-her." Fate-chan took a long, shaky breath as her body was shivering. "I never got t-to say I w-w-was sorry. And now it's t-t-too late." It was then that Fate-chan broke down in tears, crying uncontrollably in my arms.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

I don't know how long it took for Fate-chan to calm down but eventually, she did. We had somehow ended up in my bed, I sat upright while Fate-chan had her upper body lying in my lap and her arms wrapped around my waist. As I was stroking her hair gently I couldn't help but notice how incredibly soft her hair actually was.

Looking down at her, I saw the lower half of her body slightly phasing through the bed, reminding me she was, in fact, a ghost.

I had almost forgotten.

"Nanoha," Fate-chan mumbled, her voice still shaking a bit.

"Yes, Fate-chan?" I answered as gently as I could.

"Remember what Lindy-kaasan said? About me saying I had a lot of things I regret?"

"Mhm." I nodded. _"There are so many things I regret in my life… But there's one thing I can still do… I love you, Lindy-kaasan."_

"Most of those things, are small things I let go right before I died there…" Fate-chan continued, "But there is one thing, one thing I still regret."

"Which is? You can tell me, Fate-chan." I whispered, softly rubbing the blonde's back.

"The one thing I truly regret, is that I never made up with Alicia after our fight, before she died…"

I looked up and stared out the window, the sky was cloudy and the moon was hidden behind those clouds.

I looked back at Fate-chan when I heard her chuckle. There was no happiness within that short bout of laughter though.

"Ironic isn't it? I would be able to apologize, to talk to her, if I could go to the afterlife. Yet it is the fact that I regret never apologizing that I _cannot_ go and apologize."

Silence fell. My brain going into overdrive once more. If that was truly what kept her bound to earth, then there was nothing we could do…

Nothing at all…

I can't help her; there's nothing I can do.

No…

I cannot accept that.

I made her a promise!

* * *

***~-[**** End of Chapter ****]-~***

* * *

Please leave me a review telling me what you think; I love getting feedback and I don't mind people being critical. In fact, I welcome it!

***~-[**** May we meet again, fare thee well! ****]-~***


	7. Coming Out

_**Story Title:  
**_Bound by Regret

_**Genres/'Tags':  
**_Mystery / Supernatural / Romance / Yuri / Alternate Universe / Ghost

_**Summary:  
**_Walking home from school, Takamachi Nanoha sees a mysterious blonde girl in the park. Entranced by the girl's mysterious air, Nanoha walks up to her and asks her who she is. The response she gets is not quite what she expected: "Y-you can... see me?" ::AU & Nanofate::

_**Disclaimer:  
**_I do not own Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha and all related trademarks are owned by Seven Arcs.

* * *

***~-[**** Chapter #7: Coming Out ****]-~***

* * *

_**Nanoha POV:  
**_That night, I couldn't sleep. Fate-chan had fallen asleep about an hour ago but sleep just eluded me. I had made her a promise. I had promised I would help her. But the big question was… how?

It became clear that the thing keeping her stuck here on earth was the fact she never made up with her sister. But her sister was dead, so how would she ever be able to apologize? Letting my thoughts wander I realized something: if Fate-chan were able to apologize to Alicia, what would happen next? If the stories were true, and it was that regret keeping Fate-chan bound to earth, then would letting go of that regret mean Fate-chan would be able to go to the afterlife?

Time seemed to stop for a moment when that realization hit me.

A sigh slipped past my lips. It was this very moment I wished more than ever that I could've met Fate-chan when she was still alive. If she'd never been in that accident, she and I could have become friends at school.

_Maybe even more…_ I jumped at my thought. I felt my heart rate increase. My eyes fell on Fate-chan's sleeping form. I remembered the first time I had seen her like that. She had looked so peaceful back then, but now, not so much. Back then, she wasn't plagued by the past. I supposed it was true, ignorance _is_ bliss.

But one thing I was not ignorant of at this moment, was that my feelings for Fate-chan seemed to have gone past friendship. Frantically I tried to think back when that changed, when I didn't just want to be her friend.

_The moment I saw her._ I realized.

Back when I saw her in the park, as I was captivated by that other-worldly glow. Back then I realized she was beautiful. No, she was not just beautiful, she was gorgeous.

_I don't want to let her go. I want us to stay together forever._ For a fraction of a second I was glad I had no idea how to help her let go of her regrets. But that feeling was instantly followed up by a great feeling of guilt. _How can I be so selfish?!_

Exhaustion finally took over and I fell into a restless sleep.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

The moment I awoke the next morning, my thoughts from the night before came back to me in an instant, making me feel guilty all over again.

Forcing myself to open my eyes I looked around for Fate. Relief came over me when I saw her, asleep and floating besides my bed.

As if she'd noticed I was watching her she mumbled and her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Hello Fate-chan." I greeted softly. Despite the fact she fell asleep early and, for as far as I knew, had slept the entire night, she looked like a wreck.

I was not surprised.

She nodded in return, but said not a word.

That morning was spent in silence again. I got prepared for school while Fate-chan just followed me around in silence. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but I didn't have to; I knew. I knew all about it and I felt so powerless since I had no idea how to help.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

At school I didn't pay much of any attention, all my brain power being used to think of a game plan. But, the more I thought about it, the more I started to get a feeling of hopelessness.

At lunch break it was Suzuka-chan whom finally got me to snap out of my depressing thoughts.

"This Sunday we're going to visit Hayate-chan right?" she asked for confirmation. My eyes widened when I remembered we had indeed agreed to that after we'd heard she'd caught the flu.

"Nanoha-chan, you didn't forget did you?" Arisa-chan raised an eyebrow accusingly.

I started laughing nervously because in truth, with all the things going on with Fate-chan the past week I had indeed forgotten all about that.

"Mou Nanoha-chan, you've been out of it this whole first week of school. You know that if there's something wrong you can always talk to us right?" Arisa-chan said angrily. Suzuka-chan simply nodded to support Arisa-chan's words.

They were right, of course they were. But how does one explain they met the ghost of a girl that died in a gruesome way that would only be able to pass on by apologizing to her dead sister? Even thinking about it now, the whole thing sounded ludicrous.

Then again, they were my friends, I could trust them… right?

I took a quick glance at Fate-chan; she had that faraway look in her eyes again. With all of the thinking I'd been doing I could only imagine the storm that had to be brewing in her head.

Weighing my options again, I decided against telling the truth. I felt bad about it; it wasn't like I didn't trust them but I wasn't sure just _how_ to tell them. Then I remembered something.

"Suzuka-chan, do you remember a few days ago when you felt a presence?" I started.

Suzuka-chan nodded in response, probably unsure of where I was going, mentioning that.

"And you feel it right now right?" both Suzuka-chan and Arisa-chan's eyes widened.

"How did you-" Arisa-chan started but I quickly interrupted her.

"The truth is…" I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, gathering my courage.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Fate POV:  
**_Arisa-chan and Suzuka-chan were staring at Nanoha incredulously. I wasn't surprised; she just told them she'd befriended a ghost. I was expecting them to either laugh at her or ask her if she felt alright.

"And where exactly is this ghost now?" Suzuka-chan asked. Okay, _that_ I did not expect.

And it seems Nanoha didn't expect that kind of response either as she just pointed in my direction with a surprised look on her face.

Suzuka-chan faced my direction and for a moment it almost felt like she was actually looking at me.

"Pleased to meet you, my name is Tsukimura Suzuka." She introduced herself with a short bow before continuing. "I might not be able to see or hear you but I can feel your presence, as weird as that may sound."

I didn't know what to do or say, but I quickly realized it wouldn't matter much what I said or did, she wouldn't be able to tell what I was doing anyway.

"H-how can you be so calm about this?!" Arisa-chan yelled suddenly. "Nanoha-chan tells you there's a ghost there and your reaction is to _introduce_ yourself?! Don't you think this is a little weird? I mean-"

"Arisa-chan," Suzuka-chan interjected, effectively shutting the blonde up immediately, "if Nanoha-chan says there is a ghost here I believe her. You can tell as well don't you? The presence here, exactly where Nanoha-chan said it is?"

Arisa-chan glanced down at the ground and sighed. "Yes…" she mumbled, "Yes, I can feel it too; it's exactly as you say. I just… find it a bit hard to accept."

"As do I." Suzuka-chan assured her. "But there is also no reason for me to deny it. I trust Nanoha-chan and I'm sure you do the same."

Both Arisa-chan and Suzuka-chan turned to Nanoha and smiled at her. I floated to behind Nanoha whom had a happy expression. A few tears trickled down her face.

"Thank you," she said to her friends, "I was afraid you wouldn't believe me."

"Heh, what're friends for right?" Arisa-chan smiled smugly.

"Oh hush you." Suzuka-chan lightly tapped Arisa-chan on the shoulder.

The three friends shared a laugh and I couldn't help but smile as well, my troubles forgotten for a moment.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

That Saturday Nanoha and her friends happened to have no school that afternoon and so they had decided to get Hayate-chan, whom I still had to meet, a little get-well-soon gift.

I noticed both Arisa-chan and Suzuka-chan glancing in my direction more often, as if they were better able to sense where I was. It probably had to do something with the fact they now knew a bit more about me. In a sense it was nice to have more people acknowledge my existence, even if they couldn't exactly see or hear me.

"So what should we get Hayate-chan?" Nanoha asked, smiling as she did so.

The three friends all closed their eyes in thought.

"How about something that reflects her as a person?" I mumbled my thoughts out loud. I had no idea what kind of person this Yagami Hayate exactly was but I always liked the ideas of gifts reflecting the person receiving them.

"That might just work Fate-chan." Nanoha said, happy with my suggestion.

"Hm? What'd she say Nanoha-chan?" Arisa-chan asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Something reflecting Hayate-chan's personality." Nanoha replied. "I really like that idea!"

"Un, sounds like a plan." Suzuka-chan smiled. "Fate-chan certainly is a smart one."

I couldn't help but blush a bit at her compliment. "I-it's nothing…" I said, even if I knew she couldn't hear me.

"Yup," Nanoha winked, "she's very modest too."

"It's too bad we can't see or hear her." Arisa-chan said bluntly, arms crossed and a light frown on her face.

Everyone fell silent at that remark. Especially Nanoha seemed disappointed. From what I've been able to see ever since I met her, she was definitely one that loved having all her friends together with everyone enjoying themselves.

Suzuka-chan eventually broke the silence. "But, ever since you told us about her Nanoha-chan, I've been able to tell where she is, even if I can't see her. Who knows, we might be able to see her one day."

Nanoha's mood brightened significantly. "Yeah." She nodded.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

The day passed by quite quickly as we went from shop to shop, looking around for both a gift for Hayate, as well as just generally looking around. The visits to the many clothes stores made me a bit self-conscious. I hadn't really thought about it but I've never changed clothes ever since I d- became a ghost. It's not like my clothes are getting dirty or anything. After all, I cannot come into physical contact with anything that would do so.

It was getting to me at one point. I mean, I was there but at the same time… I wasn't. Now, more than ever I cursed my own carelessness that had gotten me killed. _If I just hadn't stood there like an idiot I would've still been alive! I could've become real friends with Nanoha. I could've done so much more that I can't do now…_

My face must've betrayed my thoughts because I suddenly found Nanoha's worried face in front of me.

"Are you alright Fate-chan?" she asked, I couldn't help but smile; she was such a great person.

"Is she okay?" Suzuka-chan asked. She was also looking in my direction, as was Arisa-chan.

I took a deep breath. "I'm fine, just a little tired." I answered in an attempt to reassure them.

"She says she's just tired." Nanoha answered Suzuka-chan's question.

"Okay, but… If you're sad Fate-chan, please know that we'll do anything we can to cheer you up okay?"

I was slightly taken aback; how did she know I was sad?

"You're not very good at hiding your emotions are you?" Arisa-chan asked, though it was more statement than question.

"What do you mean Arisa-chan?" Nanoha asked the same question that was on my mind.

Arisa-chan scratched the back of her head lightly. "We might not be able to see her like you do Nanoha-chan and I can't quite explain it but it's as if she's radiating sadness right now. I guess I can understand; being a ghost probably isn't easy."

"Aww, my little Arisa-chan is so understanding." Suzuka-chan giggled.

"S-shut up!"

A soft giggled escaped me; their antics were just too funny.

"Ah, it seems like our little miss ghost is feeling a bit better." Suzuka-chan gave a wink in my direction and it was true, I _was_ feeling better.

"Well, it's getting late so I think we should find something for Hayate-chan. We don't want to show up empty-handed when we go visit her tomorrow right?" Arisa-chan spoke up. Nanoha and Suzuka-chan agreed and we quickly went on our way again.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

That evening Nanoha and I had just gotten into bed when she grabbed me by my arms. I was a bit shocked but let her lead my arms around her body.

"Fate-chan has been receiving a lot of hugs, so I thought maybe you could hold me this time?" Nanoha whispered softly. I caught a glimpse of her face and found her to be blushing.

Smiling I agreed and held her tight.

"Hmmm… you're warm Fate-chan."

I nodded in silence.

"I had fun today. This was the first time we actually hung out for fun rather than trying to find out about… you."

I nodded again, enjoying the warmth of the body I was holding. I was sure that, unlike the last few nights, which were filled with nightmares of when I was still alive, I would sleep well tonight.

"I'm sure tomorrow will be fun as well. Hayate-chan is a very… energetic person." Nanoha said sleepily.

I thought about that statement. The gift that the three friends eventually agreed to was a plush raccoon. _If that really is a gift matching Hayate-chan's personality then I'm sure tomorrow is going to be quite an experience._ I thought before I fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

***~-[**** End of Chapter ****]-~***

* * *

**Author's Note: **We're slowly but surely heading towards the end of this story. I'm not too sure how many more chapters it will take me but we're definitely getting close. In light of this I have opened up a poll on my profile so you can vote for my next story. Please check it out and vote, thanks for your time.

* * *

Please leave me a review telling me what you think; I love getting feedback and I don't mind people being critical. In fact, I welcome it!

***~-[**** May we meet again, fare thee well! ****]-~***


	8. Enter, the Yagami Family

_**Story Title:  
**_Bound by Regret

_**Genres/'Tags':  
**_Mystery / Supernatural / Romance / Yuri / Alternate Universe / Ghost

_**Summary:  
**_Walking home from school, Takamachi Nanoha sees a mysterious blonde girl in the park. Entranced by the girl's mysterious air, Nanoha walks up to her and asks her who she is. The response she gets is not quite what she expected: "Y-you can... see me?" ::AU & Nanofate::

_**Disclaimer:  
**_I do not own Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha and all related trademarks are owned by Seven Arcs.

* * *

***~-[**** Chapter #8: ****Enter, the Yagami Family** **]-~***

* * *

_**Nanoha POV:  
**_Arisa-chan, Suzuka-chan and I had agreed to meet at the bus stop not far from Hayate-chan's house before we would go there. Fate-chan and I had arrived a little early so we were waiting patiently. To kill time I talked to her a bit about Hayate-chan so she could get a bit of a better idea on what she was like.

"Cosplay?" Fate-chan asked curiously.

"Yeah, Hayate-chan is really into that. Her usual victim is her younger cousin Vita-chan." I explained, scratching my cheek.

"She lives with her cousin?" Was the blonde's obvious follow-up question.

"Oh yes, she lives with… well I never really asked what their exact relation is to each other but I do know Vita-chan is Hayate-chan's cousin. She also lives with Signum-san and Shamal-san. They're her guardians and I think they're her cousins as well. Hayate-chan never knew her parents." I explained with a sad smile.

"I see." Fate-chan said. She looked away for a moment but I caught the glimpse of sadness in those burgundy eyes.

I rested my hand on her shoulder and gave it a slight reassuring squeeze. "Hayate-chan's family are good people Fate-chan, almost to the point of over-protectiveness."

That seemed the cheer the ghost up a bit as she turned to me and smiled gently. "That's good." She said in that soft voice that I'd come to love. _Wait… love? Where did that come from?_ Once again a strange feeling came over me and I realized once more how beautiful Fate-chan was. Not just her looks, but also her voice and her personality were sublime.

"Nanoha? Are you okay?" that same soft voice that led me into it pulled me out of my reverie.

"Oh, sorry Fate-chan, got lost in thought for a second. Nyahaha…" I blushed as I spoke.

"Guess you really have a tendency to daydream." Fate-chan said with a giggle and for a moment I was sure I was in the presence of an angel. Then I was reminded that it was, in fact, a ghost.

"Nanoha-chan!" I heard Arisa-chan call. I turned and saw both her and Suzuka-chan approach.

"Hey there!" I waved back in greeting.

"Good morning Nanoha-chan." Suzuka-chan said once they stood next to me. She then turned to Fate-chan. "Good morning to you as well Fate-chan… she is right here right?"

I chuckled while Fate-chan scratched the back of her head a bit due to the awkwardness of that question.

"Yes she is." I laughed.

Suzuka-chan smiled. "I don't know why or how but I keep getting a better and better feel for where she is."

"Same here." Arisa-chan added with a smile. "Ah, that reminds me," my green-eyed friend hit the palm of her open hand with her fist. "Are you going to tell Hayate-chan about our ghostly friend here?"

"I'm sure you could, if she's at least half as understanding as they are it shouldn't be a problem." Fate-chan said, waving her hand in my friends' direction.

"If you don't mind Fate-chan. I mean, I did tell Arisa-chan and Suzuka-chan without asking you first." I said, feeling a bit bad about the fact I'd done so two days ago.

"I trust your judgement Nanoha." Fate said with a smile. I think that somewhere she _wanted_ me to tell Hayate-chan.

"Alright Fate-chan." I couldn't help but smile back at her warm smile.

"What'd she say?" Arisa-chan asked.

"She doesn't mind me telling Hayate-chan."

"I thought so," Suzuka-chan smiled. "From what I could feel she even seems excited to make more friends am I right?"

Fate-chan nodded happily and I, in turn, confirmed Suzuka-chan's suspicions.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

The four of us found ourselves at the front door of a modest but modern Japanese house. Three of us had been over quite a few times but for our new ghostly friend it was the first time there. Suzuka-chan was about to ring the doorbell when I noticed something about Fate-chan I found a bit strange, she was shivering as if she was feeling cold or sick or something.

"Something wrong Fate-chan?" I asked, stopping Suzuka-chan from ringing the doorbell.

"I-I don't k-k-know, for some reason I'm f-feeling so _very_ nervous, like there's something… off… about this place." Fate-chan shivered through clenched teeth. She proceeded to shake her entire body and stretched out real quick as if attempting to shake off the strange feeling she was getting. "Okay, I'm good now." She sighed.

"Is everything okay?" Suzuka-chan asked, her finger resting on the doorbell.

"Yes, we're good." I flashed a quick smile at her but in the back of my mind I was a bit unnerved at Fate-chan's feeling about Hayate-chan's house. Why would she get bad vibes from Hayate-chan's house? While it was true that Hayate-chan could be a bit… off, she was by no means evil.

Suzuka-chan rang the doorbell and after a few seconds the door opened, revealing one of Hayate-chan's relatives, the same blonde woman with violet eyes that'd picked up Hayate-chan from school after this year's first school day, Shamal-san.

"Good afternoon Shamal-san!" Arisa-chan, Suzuka-chan and me chorused.

"Good afternoon girls! Here to visit Hayate-chan I presume? I'm sure she'll be happy to see you." Shamal-san greeted with a smile before leading us inside.

***~-[**** X ****]-~***

_**Fate POV:**_  
For some reason I couldn't explain the house we were at just irked me. I had attempted to shake off the bad feeling and while that worked for the most part I couldn't calm down entirely.

As this blonde woman I'd learned was named Shamal led Nanoha and the others into the house and I intended to follow Shamal-san's next action caught me completely off guard. As soon as the three girls had passed her she turned to me and _winked_. No doubt I had to have had the most ridiculous expression on my face as she turned back around and partook in idle chatter with Nanoha and the rest as if nothing had happened.

Stunned as I was I nearly forgot to follow them. _Was that? Did she? I didn't imagine that just now… did I?_

The strange and dare I say 'ominous' feeling I'd had before was back in full force and while I wasn't particularly thrilled to go further into this house, I wasn't too keen on leaving Nanoha's side either.

So I followed and stuck as close to Nanoha as I could.

We were led to an upstairs bedroom where we found a girl about our age with short brown hair sitting in a bed reading a book. I took a wild guess that this girl was Hayate-chan.

"Hayate-chan! How're you feeling?" the three girls I came here with asked in chorus. _Seems like she's Yagami Hayate. Hm, I expected… I'm not sure what I expected actually…_

"Hey, you guys! I'm feeling pretty good; I should be able to come back to school again tomorrow actually." Hayate-chan smiled back as she marked the page she was at and put her book away.

"We got you a little get-well-soon gift!" Nanoha offered Hayate-chan the plush raccoon, which was wrapped in blue wrapping paper with yellow stars on it.

"Oh you guys!" Hayate spoke with a voice drenched in emotion. "You're the best!" She took the gift and tore the wrapping paper off. When the gift was unwrapped she took a good look at it before turning to Nanoha and the other two. "Are you guys trying to tell me something?" Hayate-chan deadpanned, which earned a hearty laugh from the three visitors as well as a soft chuckle from me.

"I got you girls some drinks!" Shamal-san from earlier came into the room carrying a tray with a few cups of tea for the visitors and a glass of orange juice for the almost recovered short-haired brunette. I kept my eyes on her, wondering if she'd acknowledge me in some way. She didn't and after receiving quick words of thanks from the four friends Shamal-san left again, leaving me wondering if the wink she gave me had solely been a figment of my imagination.

"Where are Signum-san and Vita-chan by the way?" Nanoha asked, taking a sip of tea.

"Oh, Signum is teaching her Sunday kendo class and Vita-chan went to the old folks' home to join them in their weekly croquet game." Hayate-chan explained with a smile that could only be described as proud.

"By the way…" The supposed raccoon girl grabbed the attention of everyone in the room with a short pause.

A pause during which her three visitors all took a sip of their tea.

"Won't you introduce me to your new blonde friend over there?" she asked with an overly sweet smile, pointing directly at… me?

The effect was immediate as Arisa-chan, Suzuka-chan and Nanoha all three almost choked in their tea. I could only gape at the girl sitting in her bed as she looked at me, waiting for an introduction, smiling a knowing smile that made me realize just exactly why the plush raccoon made such a good gift for her.

However, all I could stammer was "Y-you can... _see_ me?" as I felt a strong sense of déjà vu over my own words.

* * *

***~-[**** End of Chapter ****]-~***

* * *

**Poll Reminder:** Be sure to vote in the poll on my profile regarding my next story idea if you haven't already. Voting ends the same day the final chapter for this story is uploaded so be sure to vote before then. Thank you.

Please leave me a review telling me what you think; I love getting feedback and I don't mind people being critical. In fact, I welcome it!

***~-[**** May we meet again, fare thee well! ****]-~***


End file.
